Cairns and the Daintree River cheat sheet

Every fish, the no-licence rules and the barra slot, the four rigs and the one heavy box of tackle. One page to take to the water.

Fishing Dan · cheat sheet

Cairns and the Daintree River

Every fish, the no-licence rules and the barra slot, the four rigs and the one heavy box of tackle. One page to take to the water.

By Dan · read the full guide

Checked 5 June 2026

fishingdan.com/spots/cairns-daintree

What's on

Barramundi open Feb – Oct

Mangrove jack warmer months

Fingermark all year

Queenfish dry-season inshore

Giant trevally dry-season inshore

Peak In season Slow Closed (law)▎This month

The dry season (May to August) is the prime window. Barra is closed 1 November to 31 January.

Licence

None. Queensland needs no recreational fishing licence for these waters. Follow the size, bag and closed-season rules.

Barramundi

Slot 58 to 120 cm, bag 5 (10 per boat with 2+ aboard). Closed 1 November to 31 January (no take, no targeting).

Others

Mangrove jack 35 cm, fingermark 35 cm, bag 5 each; giant trevally in the combined trevally bag of 20; queenfish (giant queenfish) 50 cm, bag 5, mostly released. Check the marine-park green zones on the reef.

Bank vs boat · season · time → rig

Fish	Where (all from a boat)	Best tide and time	Rig
Barramundi	Estuary snags, creek mouths, drains, mangrove edges	Run-out tide; dawn and dusk; dry season and build-up	Barramundi lure rig
Mangrove jack	Tight in the timber, rock bars, mangrove roots	Tide moving; through the day; warmer months	Barramundi lure rig
Fingermark	Deeper structure, rock bars, deep holes, inshore reef	Bigger tides; change of light	Jigging rig or inshore bait rig
Queenfish	River mouths, headlands, inshore surface schools	Dry-season clearer water; change of light	Popper and stickbait rig
Giant trevally (GT)	Inshore reef edges, bommies, current lines, headlands	Dry season; bigger tides; change of light	Popper and stickbait rig or jigging rig

Estuary day = barra and jacks on the run-out tide. Reef day = GT and queenfish on the surface, fingermark deep.

The rigs

Barramundi lure rig

PE braid 20–30 lb → FG knot → 30–60 lb leader → weedless soft plastic or hardbody

FG knot · Palomar (soft plastic), non-slip loop (hardbody)

Popper and stickbait

Heavy braid PE 8–10 → FG knot → 130–170 lb leader → solid ring + split rings → popper/stickbait 80–200 g

FG knot · Palomar (ring)

Jigging rig

Braid → FG knot → heavy leader → slow-pitch or vertical jig

FG knot · Palomar

Inshore bait rig

Main line → running sinker or paternoster → strong bait hook → fresh/live bait

Palomar · snell (bait hooks)

What you need

Rods & reels

Estuary outfit 3 to 6 kg spin or baitcaster, ~2.0 to 2.1 m, with a 3000 to 4000 reel

Heavy spin outfit a popping/stickbait rod, ~2.3 to 2.6 m (7.5 to 8.5 ft), rated PE 8 to 10, with a 14000 to 18000 reel and a strong drag

Jig outfit a slow-pitch or jigging rod with an overhead or spin reel to suit

Lines & leaders

Estuary braid PE braid, ~20 to 30 lb (PE 1.5 to 3)

Estuary leader mono or fluorocarbon, 30 to 60 lb (up to 70 to 80 lb for trophy barra)

Heavy braid 8-strand braid, PE 8 to 10 (~80 to 100 lb) for GT, PE 6 to 8 for queenfish

Heavy leader fluorocarbon, ~130 to 170 lb for GT, 60 to 100 lb for queenfish

Jig braid and leader braid to suit the jig weight, with a heavy leader

Lures

Soft plastics 100 to 125 mm (4 to 5") paddletails and prawns, rigged weedless

Hardbody lures shallow and deep minnows, vibration (lipless) lures and surface walkers, ~75 to 125 mm

Surface lures poppers and stickbaits, 80 to 200 g, ~15 to 25 cm

Jigs slow-pitch and vertical jigs to suit the depth

Terminal & connectors

Weedless hooks / jigheads stout weedless worm hooks and jigheads to suit the depth

Solid and split rings a solid ring and heavy-duty split rings (rated 200 lb plus for GT)

Strong hooks strong trebles or inline single hooks, sized to the lure, kept sharp

Sinkers and rig clips running sinkers and a paternoster set for bait

Bait hooks strong tidal bait hooks, sized to the bait

Other kit

Net or lip-grip, pliers and a de-hooker a large landing net or a lip-grip and a knotless net, long-nose pliers and a de-hooker for the toothy fish

Brag mat, polarised glasses and sun protection a measuring brag mat (to check the barra slot), polarised sunglasses, sun protection, and plenty of water

Crocodile-safe sense stay in the boat (see the crocodile-safety section)

A heavy estuary outfit and a heavy spin outfit, plus a box of heavy leaders, lures, rings and terminal tackle.

The knots

Knot	Ties	Used by
FG knot	The slim, strong braid-to-leader join, every rig.	Every rig
Palomar	A fixed tie at a lure, ring or hook.	Lures, rings, hooks
Non-slip loop	A free-swimming loop at a hardbody.	Free-swimming hardbody

Learn the FG knot first; it holds the heavy leader on every rig. Wet every knot before you pull it tight.

Crocodile country. Stay in the boat, keep back from the edge, never clean fish at the water's edge, never swim, heed the signs. This is a boat fishery: book a charter (Fish Tales Charters, Paradise Sportfishing), hire a tinnie, or run your own. See the boat options in the full guide →

Fishing Dan · fishingdan.com/spots/cairns-daintree · Last checked 5 June 2026 · Confirm licences, seasons and boat hire with the authorities named in the full guide before you travel.

The printable

This one page is the printable I take to the water.

Give me an email and I will show it to you, ready to print. A one-page reference: what's on by month, the licence and rules, a rig for every fish, the shared tackle box and the knots.

I'll send you the cheat sheet, and email you when I add a new place to fish. Nothing else.